The primary reason for our last trip to Tokyo was to attend a Japanese anime and model convention, something neither of us had done before. C3AFA Tokyo is a fan event that has evolved over many years – the original event had a different name but the organizers merged with another group to become C3AFA.
Husband will probably post more about the specific models and types of work that could be seen at the show. I want to focus more on the atmosphere of the convention.
C3AFA Tokyo is a very collector focused convention. All the booths had special products or release announcements for the convention. There are two sections to the convention:
- The main area for large, established companies
- The marketplace for small studios and individual designers
This convention is one of the only places where Bandai grants temporary, site liscenses to sell Gundam related merchandise. Mech designers bring models of their own takes on Gundams, others loving make models of lesser known robots whose originally released models are hard to find and lots of designers bring original work to sell.
Of the large companies, they all had long lines for art signings and model releases. We stood in line at one booth and were nervous the WHOLE TIME that they would run out of the mech model husband wanted before we got to the front of the line. They did not run out, though we saw several people who were turned away for other models.
C3AFA Tokyo is fairly large compared with American cons but it didn’t feel overly crowded on either day we went. Getting into the convention was a bit of a tough wait since it is hot and humid in August. We showed up an hour early to ensure entry and ended up slightly sunburned. The opening of the event was orderly and well organized. The lines to get into the show were long but moved quickly – the hardcore collectors were lined up early and ready to run in.
It was a lot of fun to explore the convention. Not sure if we were the only Americans, but we were definitely two of only a few caucasian people at the event. While everyone was very friendly, almost nothing was available in English and we didn’t expect anything to be. I have a stack of fliers and brochures that I can, hopefully, scan and post on my site or husband’s at a later date.
One of my favorite things about conventions is people in costumes of their favorite characters. There were not many cosplayers at this convention but one of the game companies brought an SD version of Char’s Zaku.
Which was one of my favorite things at the convention.
For more info about the convention visit their website:
https://www.c3afatokyo.com/
And follow them on Twitter: